Posts Tagged ‘Mike Dunleavy’

December 18, 2014 · 1:49PM

ALL BALL NERVE CENTER — Every year about this time, we start to see the same movies airing on TV over and over, the holiday classics: Christmas Vacation, Miracle on 34th Street, How the Grinch Stole Christmas, Elf, etc.

Now the Chicago Bulls have created a new video to add to the holiday classics canon. Their video, The Gift Of The Game, which tells of a Christmas miracle involving Benny the Bull and a Bulls team that understands teamwork is the key to success. Special shoutout to Derrick Rose, Joakim Noah, Jimmy Butler, Pau Gasol, Doug McDermott, and Mike Dunleavy for their narrating skills.

April 14, 2011 · 10:55AM

by Micah Hart

With the regular season behind us and the playoffs set to tip off this weekend, it’s the perfect time to do a little looking back at some of the fun we had during the past six months.

One of our favorite things to write about on All Ball has been the Horry Scale breakdowns of every GWBB (game-winning buzzer-beater) from the season, of which, in the end, there were 16 during 2010-11. Let’s take a look back at some of the most memorable:

Best Executed Horry

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One of the most unlikely endings to a game all season, as Nic Batum scores four points in the last 0.9 seconds to beat the Spurs, the last two of which came on this picture-perfect lob off the inbounds pass from Andre Miller to ring up the Horry Scale breakdown. Portland’s Rose Garden would be my choice for where all GWBBs would take place, if I had my druthers. Where does one get druthers, I wonder?Runner-up: Andrew Bogut – really this should be a tie, I just love Portland celebrations.

Team synopsis: People have a tendency to think that Duke players don’t do so well in the pros, but man, look at this lineup. Big and burly, and good luck keeping Brand, Boozer, and Maggette off the offensive glass. The only thing that could pose a problem for the Dookies is a lack of a top-notch outside shooter or true distributor, but Hill and Deng are good enough. Each guy on this team can put the ball in the basket.

Fortunately, Al Jefferson‘s tip-in at the buzzer against the Raptors last night fits snugly without our criteria for Horry inclusion, so let’s dispense with the intro and get to it.

Once again, the Horry scale examines a shot in the categories of difficulty, game situation (was the team tied or behind at the time), importance (playoff game or garden-variety Clippers-Nets game), and celebration, and give it an overall grade on a scale of 1-5 Robert Horrys.

How did Big Al do? Let’s investigate:

Difficulty

Tough to rate. After all, a tip-in like this is pretty much all luck. Unlike, say, Mike Dunleavy‘s GWBB from earlier this season against the Hornets, where he was clearly in position to try to tip the ball directly into the basket, Jefferson’s touch on the ball is almost like a volleyball set that just happens to take the right trajectory into the hoop. He’s obviously trying to tip in the game-winner, but you rarely see a shot go four feet in the air from 10 inches in front of the basket.

Game Situation

Tie ballgame, but it almost doesn’t matter with a tip because there is no time to consider alternatives.

Importance

Ever since the Jazz traded Deron Williams to New Jersey, most people have written off Utah in the Western conference playoff race. It’s not an entirely unfair assertion considering they were 2-5 without him before last night’s win. However, there is still talent in Utah, and though it is still struggling, the Jazz are just 1 1/2 games behind Memphis for the No. 8 spot. The playoffs are still a possibility, which makes wins like this one immensely important.

Celebration

Too muted. Am I right? I suppose Jefferson could feel a little sheepish for getting the winning points on a shot that wasn’t 100 percent intentional, but a game-winner is a game-winner. I’m not demanding the Jazz players pile on top of him, but would a nice group hug be too much to ask?

Grade

2 Horrys. It certainly was an unusual buzzer-beater, and a much-needed win for Utah, but between it being a tie game and a somewhat listless celebration, I just don’t think I can go any higher than two.

December 21, 2010 · 10:55AM

by Micah Hart

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Almost two weeks between GWBBs in the NBA — Robert Horry was getting hungry. Fortunately Mike Dunleavy heeded Big Shot Bob’s call, tipping in Danny Granger‘s miss at the buzzer to give the Pacers a 94-93 win over the Hornets on Monday night.

We’ll see what Horry says about it in a sec, but I have to say right off the bat, I love this one. The ball hangs on the rim as if pausing to decide whose heart to break – it almost feels like the ball itself is self-aware, and is milking the attention for all it’s worth. Then it drops. Hornets deflated, Pacers elated.

What did the Horry scale think?

Once again, the Horry scale examines a shot in the categories of difficulty, game situation (was the team tied or behind at the time), importance (playoff game or garden-variety Clippers-Nets game), and celebration, and give it an overall grade on a scale of 1-5 Robert Horrys.

Let’s investigate:

Difficulty: Well, they don’t get much easier than this. Dunleavy inbounds the ball to Granger with 3.9 seconds left, then immediately dives to the hole for the offensive rebound, and the Hornets are gracious enough to grant him a clear path. Chris Paul may be the best PG in the league, but Dunleavy is his responsibility on this play and his failure to box him out cost New Orleans the game. Dunleavy is right at the rim as the ball bounces out, and he gives it just enough of a nudge to clear the rim and fall through.

Game Situation: The Pacers trailed by a point to the visiting Hornets, who took the lead on the previous play on a David West jumper.

Importance: It’s only a quarter of the way through the season, but the Pacers look like they are going to be in a dogfight for one of the final few spots in the Eastern Conference playoff chase. Right now the Pacers sit in 7th, but you gotta think they want to try to get at least to 6th so as to avoid a first-round series with either Boston or Miami. Wins like this will end up making a difference.

Celebration: Outstanding. The whole team takes a victory lap around Conseco Fieldhouse before Granger tackles him to the ground in front of the Pacers’ bench.

Grade:

4 Horrys. I realize, looking back over how it fared in the individual catergories, that Dunleavy’s shot should grade out much lower, but this one has a certain je ne sais quoi about it. Its sum on the Horry scale is greater than its parts. The basketball itself is really the star of the show, dismissing Dunleavy and Granger to minor roles while it takes center stage. First the ball takes a complete 360-spin on Granger’s initial shot, then hangs like Tiger at Augusta after Dunleavy tips it. What can I say? Sometimes art can’t be quantified and rated. This one was unique and memorable, and at the end of the day, that’s worth a little something extra.